1. Field of the Invention
A method is provided for improving the genotypes and the phenotypes of plants. This method incorporates an Agrobacterium transformation system on plant cotyledon tissue, particularly cotyledons previously treated with medium from plant feeder cells. This method may be used for efficiently transforming plants to provide enhanced capabilities and/or novel phenotypes.
2. Background of the Invention
Breeding methods for plants have been limited due to the difficulty of moving genes between plant species. Therefore, the development of a method for genetic engineering with plant species is an attractive possibility. However, plant cells are substantially different from other types of cells in their requirements for a transforming system. First, unlike unicellular microorganisms, the plant cells have a low rate of proliferation. Second, the plant cells are much more sensitive to their environment in relation to viability, proliferation and regeneration to plant. Third, in order to determine whether the foreign gene has been functionally integrated into the plant cell, it is necessary to establish that the regenerated plant expresses the gene product. Finally, the plant cell has a strong rigid cell wall, making genetic engineering more difficult.
Long time intervals are involved between the manipulation of the plant cells and the demonstration of effective expression of the gene. It is therefore of interest to develop a system for transformation of plant cells and efficient regeneration of transgenic plants from the transformed cells.